Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 (NIV)

We see signs all around us every day. As we walk down the halls at school we may see signs that identify the different rooms in the school such as the cafeteria, office, library, computer lab, or music room. Each classroom probably has a sign by the door with the teacher's name on it so that the students will be able to find their classroom.

When we travel around our town we see signs that tell us what we should or should not do. I have a sheet with some signs that you probably see every day. Let's see how many of them you know. (Either use the pictures provided or some of your own.)

What do you think the first sign tells us? Right! It tells us that there is a school zone ahead and we should drive slowly and watch for children.

How about the second sign? You are right again. It tells us that there is a stop sign ahead. We should be watching for the stop sign and be prepared to stop.

What does the third sign mean? Does it mean no parking or no passing? That's right. It means no parking. If you don't know what that sign means, you just might get a parking ticket.

Now, how about the fourth sign? That is a sign that we should all obey. NO SMOKING!

Our lesson today is about signs of a different kind. It is a story about some people who were looking for a sign that would prove to them that Jesus had been sent from God. Do you remember the story about Jesus feeding five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish? As you might imagine, that made Jesus very popular with the people, so when the crowd realized that Jesus and his disciples had left, they went looking for him. They found him way over on the other side of the lake. When they found him, they asked him, "Teacher, when did you get here?"

Jesus answered them, "You came looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you. You shouldn't be so concerned about things like food. Instead, you should be seeking the eternal life that I can give you."

The people wanted proof. "Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? After all, Moses gave our ancestors bread from heaven to eat when they were in the wilderness. Can you do that?"

Jesus answered them, "The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

"Give us that bread! Give it to us every day," the people said.

Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Some people today are still asking for some special sign that will prove that Jesus was sent from God. God has given us all the signs we need right here in the Bible. All God wants is for us to believe in the One He sent.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Son, the Bread of Life. We don't need a sign, we believe in your Holy Word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.